A Deadly Affair Redux
by Leonard 356
Summary: A single change in the season 2 finale changes everything. Three shot plus epilogue. Now Complete
1. Chapter 1

_**AN:**_ A 'What if'. Canon up to the episode, then AU from there. Three chapters plus epilogue.

 **All characters belong to ABC/Andrew Marlowe.**

 _ **One:**_

 _Richard Castle laughed and took another swig of his beer as Javier Esposito told another embarrassing story about his time at the 12th precinct. Javi and Kevin Ryan, his partner had been his 'work brothers' as he thought of them for the two years that he had spent working with the NYPD. Not only did he respect their abilities as detectives, he considered them friends._

 _The impromptu send off had been hastily put together by the two after he announced that the case that they had just wrapped would be his last one - for at least the summer. Rick had used the excuse that he was under pressure from his publisher, who was also his ex wife, to complete his latest Nikki Heat novel. The pressure from his publisher part was true. He was always behind schedule to hear her, but he could have finished it without having to sever ties with the NYPD._

 _Everyone in the room knew the real reason behind his sudden departure. Their captain, Roy Montgomery, medical examiner Lanie Parish and the two detectives had watched him follow her around for nearly two years waiting for her to decide he was worthy of her interest. Anyone with a functioning pair of eyes could see that he was crazy about his 'partner'. The group had watched as Castle brought her a token of his affection for this woman on a daily basis in the form of a cup of coffee made exactly the way she liked it. He had dedicated the first Nikki Heat novel to her and told the world that he thought she was extraordinary. Castle even went as far as paying $100,000 in an attempt to catch her mother's killer._

 _Yet for whatever reason, Kate Beckett decided to either ignore, or simply dismiss these gestures of his feelings for her. While none of them thought that she owed Rick anything for these gestures other than a modicum of respect, she seemed to want to punish him for something._

X-X-X-X

Things had been going well until a month ago, when her team was ordered to work with the robbery division on a case. Their lead detective Tom Deming seemed to hit it off with Kate from their first interaction. Once the case was over, Deming started spending more and more time hanging around Beckett's desk and soon the two were dating, much to the chagrin of one Richard Castle.

Rather than quietly withdraw, Rick decided to stick around. After all he could still continue to work cases, even if they weren't anything more than friends. But with each passing day, Deming became more and more critical of Castle's presence at the 12th, openly criticizing his theories as stupid and constantly reminding him of how he wasn't a cop. The worst part was Kate heard everything, and yet said nothing in Rick's defense. Rick began to retreat, spending most of his time sitting with Ryan and Espo instead of his 'partner'.

Rather than admit defeat, Rick decided that one last attempt to make Beckett see that he was there for her was in order. The Memorial Day weekend was approaching and both Martha and Alexis would be out of town. Normally, the three would celebrate the holiday together at his home in the Hamptons, but Martha was off doing summer theatre and Alexis was heading off to Princeton for their summer program, leaving him alone. They had just picked up a case where it looked as if a spy had been murdered and Castle decided to make her the offer of spending the weekend with him in the Hamptons.

Rather than immediately reject his offer, she flirted with him, accusing him of simply wanting to see her in her swimsuit. Seizing the opportunity, he returned the flirting banter by telling her that she didn't have to wear a swimsuit at all if she wanted. But then her expression changed and she tells him that she can't get the time off as she had used up her vacation time looking for a new home. Castle never questioned her story as he had no idea how much vacation time she was allotted by the NYPD and dropped the subject.

That was until he happened to walk in on Kate and Tom together in a loving embrace and he reminds her about their weekend getaway. Of all the things that Castle could ever imagine Kate Beckett being, a liar would never have made the list. The two broke from their embrace and Tom walked away, leaving an embarrassed Kate facing him.

"So, you and Tom?" Castle inquires while trying to mask the hurt he felt at the moment.

"Yeah..." The look of betrayal and hurt on Castle's face, along with the silence became too much to bear. "I didn't want things to become awkward between us..." Was all she could offer as an excuse for her actions.

Not knowing how to respond to her comment, Castle decides that it's time for him to admit defeat and withdraw from her completely. "Well uh, I've got some good news for you... You know how my publisher has been on me about being behind on the latest Nikki Heat novel... I've decided to take a break from the NYPD and try to get caught up on my writing... I'm sure that you'll appreciate not having to listen to my stupid theories..."

Rick was actually surprised to see what appeared to be a look of shock on Kate's face as he told her about his departure. He honestly had expected her having a hard time not breaking into a huge smile at the thought of finally being rid of him.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Kate asks in a timid voice, afraid she already knows the answer.

Hating to tell her the truth that he's done with playing cop forever, he decides on a partial truth. "At least the summer. I'll be leaving for the Hamptons as soon as we wrap this case..."

For the briefest of moments Rick had thought that Kate would ask him to reconsider, but her expression seemed to be one of acceptance and quickly morphed to a frown as Ryan broke in to inform them that the lead he was following had turned out to be a dead end. If Rick wasn't so depressed by the day's events, he would have really enjoyed working this case. It had it all - spies, secret identities, and murder. The remainder of the day was spent with each member of the team working alone on a possible lead.

Rick had to leave earlier than the others as he was hosting his poker game for his fellow writers. He wished everyone a good night and promised to arrive early the next day to make up for his early departure. The poker game was a much needed distraction and helped Castle from having to deal with the future for at least one more night. The cards and conversation flowed freely and Rick was up a few hundred dollars.

Rick started telling the other writers about the case that he was working with Beckett and her team. They liked the twists with the fake spies and missions, but thought the idea that the murderer was someone involved in the game didn't make for a good story. It was Patterson that suggested that the murder had nothing to do with the spy game at all, but simply provided the opportunity. Rick had to admit that his idea made for a better story and would run the idea by the others tomorrow.

Their conversations returned to their current efforts in writing and Rick had to admit that he was feeling the heat from his publisher as he was later than usual. The others joined in teasing him about only putting out one novel a year, calling it pretty weak and questioning if working with his 'muse' was helping or hurting his writing. Castle assured his poker buddies that he was going to resolve that problem. He just failed to mention how or why.

The game ended with Castle still up a few hundred and everyone seemed to have a good time. Rick decided to clean up immediately after in an attempt to work things out in his mind. He knew the other writers were correct, he had been focusing less and less on his writing and more on a certain NYPD detective. A woman that up until a month ago, he was sure could become something more than a work partner. If he was honest with himself, Rick knew that he'd been in love with Beckett for several months. But Kate had chosen, deciding that Tom Deming was whom she needed and not him, in spite of all of his efforts.

Castle knew that the honorable thing to do was withdraw and let Kate and Tom have the chance for their relationship that he would never have. Up until this morning, Rick had clung to the foolish notion that he and Kate could continue to work together, but that came crashing down watching the two of them locked in a lover's embrace.

What disturbed Rick the most was why Kate felt the need to lie to him about going off with Deming for the weekend. Sure it hurt when she failed to defend him when Tom was making fun of his theories and reminding him that he wasn't a cop, but at least she didn't openly agree with him. Honesty had been one of the things that he admired the most about Kate. She never had a problem with telling him the truth, even if it hurt his feelings. Now she lies and when caught has to add insult to injury by telling another lie, saying that she didn't want to make things awkward between them?

No, he knew that leaving her and the NYPD was the right thing to do. Things would forever be awkward between them and he still clung to a little pride. For the briefest of moments he considered asking the mayor or the commissioner if he could work at another precinct, but decided that wasn't what he wanted either. No, the smart thing to do was walk away and hope that in time he could move on with his life.

True to his word, Rick arrived early and was working at Espo's desk when the others arrived. Out of the corner of his eye he watches as Kate arrives with Tom by her side. You didn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that the two had been together all night and the kiss between the two of them as they parted left little doubt. Beckett sees Castle sitting between Ryan and Esposito discussing something and then looks at the top of her desk expecting to see her coffee, but finding none.

Fighting back her disappointment, she walks back to where the three men were still arguing. She greets the men as if everything was normal and asks what they were talking about.

"Castle here is convinced that the murder had nothing to do with the spy crap, but simply provided the opportunity..." Espo replies before Rick could elaborate.

"I was doing some digging and I discovered that the victim's business partner was nearly bankrupt... He can sell the car dealership they own now and get out of debt..." Rick replies.

Kate actually seems pleased that Rick had given them another place to look for a suspect. "Good work Castle. Ryan, you and Espo drive up to Connecticut and bring the partner in for questioning."

The two detectives simply nod and grab their jackets as they make their way out of the bullpen, leaving Rick and Kate at Espo's desk. The two remained in their positions, Kate standing and Rick sitting for several seconds, frozen in place. Castle returns his attention to the computer screen that he was looking at before she appeared, not knowing what else there was to say to her. Somewhat hurt by his apparent indifference and the lack of the cup of coffee he normally provided for her, she quietly slips away walking back to her desk.

Espo and Ryan return about three hours later with the business partner. Kate decides to extend an olive branch of sorts asking Rick if he wanted to sit in on the questioning of the suspect. He quickly agrees and the two of them begin their interrogation. For a brief moment, all of the hurt that he had felt over the last month was forgotten as the two worked in sync getting the suspect to admit that his alibi for the time the victim was murdered was the dead man's wife with whom he was having an affair. Ryan and Espo were sent back to Connecticut to retrieve the wife, who verified the alibi.

It was then that Castle suggested that maybe the victim was having an affair also and suggested that they look at the woman that was playing spy with the victim. It was Ryan that found the key piece of evidence when he looked at the victims financial records again. His search revealed that the victim paid for himself and another person's fee for their spy adventure. A quick call to the agency confirmed that the fee was paid for the woman that was acting as his foreign spy counterpart.

Rick and Kate made the drive to New Jersey to confront the woman in almost total silence. Other than a few comments about the evidence they discovered and the weather forecast for the weekend, nothing was said. Even though he was sitting beside her, Beckett felt as if he was already gone by the lack of communication and his body language.

They arrived at the suspect's home and began to talk to her again. To her credit she stuck with her story about how she had raised the money for the spy adventure by clipping coupons. When Kate confronted her with the evidence that proved she was lying, she admitted to the affair and begged the two to not tell her husband. Rick confirmed that it was too late for that as he already knew just as he appeared in the room.

Beckett then revealed the evidence they had that her husband owned the same type of gun that was used to kill the victim and that he owned the same color car that had ran the victim off the road. At first the husband tried to deny any involvement, but ultimately relented, admitting that he had murdered the would be spy.

The ride back to the precinct was spent in complete silence, neither feeling the need to even try to make small talk. The captain was waiting for their return and congratulated the two for solving the case. Rick was about to gather up his few belongings and make a hasty retreat as planned when Montgomery asks Castle if he could come in tomorrow for an impromptu send off that he and the others wanted to give him as a way of showing their appreciation. As badly as he wanted to decline, Rick appreciated the effort put forth by the people that he had grown to believe were his friends. He said that he had to take Alexis to Princeton for her summer program, but would show up before the end of the shift. He thanked the captain for the gesture and bid he and Beckett a good night before quickly leaving the floor.

Montgomery gave Beckett a wary look as she appeared to be shocked by Castle's behavior and returned to his office shaking his head. Ryan and Espo had been watching from their desks and waited until she was alone at hers before approaching.

"So, last case for Castle..." Espo speaks first.

Somewhat puzzled by Javi's comment, Kate simply replies. "Yeah, but he'll be back in the fall."

"You don't really believe that, do you? He's done enough research to write a hundred books, why would he come back?" Espo counters, earning an angry glare from her in response.

"For the last month, you've let your 'boyfriend' dismiss Castle's theories as stupid and ridicule him because he wasn't a cop." Kevin added in support of his partner.

"You guys ridicule his theories all of the time and it's true that Castle isn't a cop." Kate quickly replies in her defense.

"Yeah, but we're part of his team and he knows us." Espo replies just as quickly. "You let Deming shove Castle away from you and said nothing... Either you want to get rid of him..." Expo pauses, reconsidering if he should continue with this train of thought and then shakes his head in defeat. "I'd bet that whatever reason he kept coming in had nothing to do with watching you making out with Deming like a couple of high school kids..."

Kate was about to provide some form of rebuttal, when the two see Deming appear as the elevator doors open. "Speak of the devil." Javi mutters with a scowl, knowing his chance to speak to Beckett has passed.

Both Ryan and Espo turn and walk away from her desk just as Tom approaches. They return to their desks and watch Kate and Tom together, knowing that they had given it their best shot. Both men knew that Deming wasn't the man Beckett really wanted, but couldn't figure out why she was with him. But they were sure if Kate let Castle leave without saying anything to give him hope, he would never return.

The two detectives watched as Kate and Tom left the precinct together. Beckett cast a remorseful looking glance in their direction as she left, making them wonder if she realized what was really happening.

X-X-X-X


	2. Chapter 2

_**Two:**_

Castle arrived home to a silent loft. Martha had left for her summer theater job and Alexis was spending her last night in the city with her best friend, Paige. His daughter knew that something was amiss with her father in spite of his claims to the contrary. She'd even offered to cancel her planned sleepover with her friend and stay with him. He assured her that everything was fine and was just going to miss her while she was away at Princeton. Alexis knew nothing about his planned departure from the NYPD and assumed that he was upset at the prospect of being alone for the holiday weekend. Castle spent the better part of the evening preparing for his stay at his Hamptons home. Satisfied with his effort, Rick tried to focus his attention on his novel that was growing later by the day. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to mentally separate his fictional character from her all too human counterpart. Rick knew that recent events were effecting his ability to finish the story. Could he give Rook the happy ending that eluded him?

He growls in frustration as he gives in and pours himself a large glass of scotch. Castle was starting to lose himself in a self pity session, when his phone rings. Glancing at the caller ID, he growls again and nearly nearly send the call to voicemail. Instead, he sighs and presses the button to answer the call.

"How's my favorite publisher this evening?" Castle answers in a voice that was far too cheery for how he actually felt at the moment.

Gina can sense from his feigned delight to hear from her that something was wrong. Really wrong. "Okay Rick, what's going on?"

"What! Can't I be happy to hear from you?" Castle replies while trying to maintain his nonchalant facade.

"Unless you've finished your novel, I'd say no." Gina counters, trying to remain calm.

There was an extended pause before Rick replies. "Yeah... About that... I know that I owe you the last two chapters, but things have been pretty hectic around here... You know with Alexis going off to the summer program at Princeton..."

"And you playing cop with the NYPD." Gina adds, her disdain apparent.

"Well, you won't have to worry about that any more... I've decided to take a break from playing cop to focus on finishing up my novel. I've been reminded quite a few times that I'm a writer not a cop." Rick replies emotionlessly.

Gina knew that something bad must have happened for Castle to give up on his work with the NYPD. She knew the real reason why he continued his 'research'. After all, she'd been married to him and knew first hand that Rick would withdraw from a situation rather than force a confrontation. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to head to the Hamptons and finish the book - alone. After that?"

Gina couldn't help but worry hearing that he was going to retreat to his home alone. His history of actions when left on his own was littered with arrests and unflattering stories on Page 6 was all the proof she needed. "I don't have any plans for this weekend... Maybe you could use some company?"

Rick may have been upset, but he wasn't desperate. He knew that the only reason his ex would make herself available was to make sure that he finished his writing while staying out of the tabloids. At least until his novel was done. "No, thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine." He replies with a lot more confidence than what he actually felt at the moment.

"Are you sure Rick? I could be ready to go by tomorrow..." Gina offers again, hoping that he would reconsider.

As much as he hated the idea of being alone for the holiday, the thought of being with his ex, whose sole reason for being there was to get him to work was unsettling. He knew Gina well enough to know that she would do anything, including sleeping with him if she thought that would get him to finish his book.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine. The time alone will force me to focus my attention on my writing..."

"Well okay Ricky, but if you need 'anything', and I do mean anything, just give me a call..." Gina replies with a purr.

Rick could only chuckle at her not so subtle come on. Much like Meredith, the sex had never been the problem between them. He still cared for Gina, but with hindsight being 20/20, he was never in-love with her. Or at least he never felt about her the way he did for a certain NYPD detective. He hadn't felt this type of ache since Kyra and he was clearly in love with her. Seeing her wed another man months ago had finally forced him to accept that she would never be anything more than a fond memory.

The extended silence confirmed to Gina that Rick had considered and rejected her offer. Deciding to end the call, she simply responds. "I'm sure that you have a lot to do, so I'll let you get back to your work. If you need anything..."

"Good night Gina. Take care." Rick replies as he ends the call before she could respond. Rick returned his attention to the task at hand of preparing for an extended stay in the Hamptons. He just hoped that he could complete his novel to keep Gina at bay. The last thing in the world he needed right now was to be the subject of another woman's disappointment.

X-X-X-X

Tom had just finished dressing and kissed Kate goodbye for the night, citing his need to return to his apartment to prepare for their weekend getaway. She follows him to the door and locks it after he leaves. Leaning against the wall, she rakes her fingers through her hair and sighs in frustration. She enjoyed being with Tom, but knew that their relationship would never progress any further than where they were right now. The fact that he was a cop was what attracted her to him in the first place, but she knew that it would also push her away in the end. Deming was perfectly satisfied to be a cop and had little interest outside of his profession. Not that that was a bad thing, but she wanted someone whose interests extended beyond their career. Someone who would challenge her intellectually. Someone like Castle.

 _Her thoughts returned to the conversation she had with Ryan and Espo just before she left for the day. Kate knew that she had been deliberately mean to Castle as some sort of punishment for him flaunting his brief affair with Ellie Monroe. She knew that she had no right to be jealous of his actions, yet couldn't help but feel some satisfaction when she learned that Rick was being used by the starlet to get a role._

 _But then Tom came along and although she was attracted to him, her initial goal was to make Rick as jealous as she felt. Instead of being jealous, Castle seemed to withdraw, as if he was condoning her relationship with the robbery detective. As much as she'd hate to admit it, the attention from Deming was good for her ego. Castle's apparent indifference only seemed to push her closer to Deming. Kate knew that Tom was jealous of Rick being with her all day long, so he looked for any opportunity to visit. When he started his verbal assault of Castle, ridiculing his theories and berating him for not being a cop, she knew that she should say something in his defense, but wanted Rick to defend himself. Instead, Castle withdrew even further, spending the majority of his day with Ryan and Espo at their desks._

 _By the time they picked up what would be Rick's last case, she had already made plans to go away for the Memorial Day weekend with Tom. Kate was surprised when Rick made the offer to come to his home in the Hamptons for the holiday. So much so that she nearly forgot about her planned getaway with Tom. Rather than give him a definitive answer, she deflects, deciding to tease him by saying that all he wanted to do was see her in a swimsuit. And there for a moment the old Castle that she had known was back, flirting with her and making innuendos._

 _Back at the precinct, he makes the offer again and she knew that she had to tell him something this time. For some reason she couldn't explain, she was embarrassed to admit that she and Tom were going away together to Rick. Instead she decides to lie, telling Castle that she had used up all of her vacation time hunting for a new apartment after hers was blown up. Rick seemed to accept her explanation and everything appeared to be fine._

 _That was until he came upon her and Tom the next morning and overheard Deming discussing their plans for their weekend together. She watches as the look on Rick's face morphs from shock, to anger, betrayal, and finally acceptance all in the span of time it took to approach her desk from the elevator. Deming and Castle exchanged awkward greetings and then the detective left to return to his floor leaving her and Rick together in an extremely uncomfortable silence. Caught in her lie, she offers another one about 'not wanting things to be awkward' between the two of them rather than admit the truth._

 _The real question was 'what was the truth'? Was she really embarrassed being with Tom? Kate knew that judging by the comments made by Ryan and Esposito that neither man thought that he was right for her. She had to admit that the last two years working with Castle were her most enjoyable and it certainly helped boost her ego knowing that she was the inspiration for the main character in his novels. Rick had suffered her wraith for looking into her mother's case, but was able to provide the evidence that ultimately lead to the capture of the man that actually murdered Johanna._

She finally crawled into bed, mentally spent, knowing that she had to make a decision that may effect her life forever...

Kate woke the next morning after a fitful night of sleep. She was no closer to making a decision now than she was when she went to bed. She liked Tom, she really did, but she knew that they would never be anything more than what they were at this moment. He was handsome and a good cop, but she needed someone that would challenge her.

She needed someone like Castle, but was afraid of him. Between his two failed marriages, his arrest record, and the Page 6 stories, the prospects of Rick being more than what he appeared were slim. She knew that at least part of his persona was an act. With the exception of his romp with his first ex wife and his tryst with Ellie Monroe, Castle had been celibate since he started working with her. He had proven to be a wonderful father and a loyal son as evidenced by his actions with Alexis and Martha. Castle had given her $100,000 in an attempt to catch the man who murdered her mother, refusing to consider any form of payback in return and had opened his home up to her when hers was destroyed.

She'd made her decision during the drive to the precinct. Tom was out working a case and she and the boys were stuck doing paperwork to wrap up their case. Castle's last case. He was taking Alexis to Princeton this morning and promised to appear for his send off so the bullpen was much quieter than normal. Kate texted Tom asking him to meet her as soon as he returned to the precinct. She didn't elaborate as to why.

The shift drug on and the lack of her morning coffee from Castle was starting to make her irritable. Kate went to the break room and attempted to extract a cup of java from the beast that Rick had bought for the precinct. "He always makes this seem so easy." She mumbles to herself as she tries to make a cup for herself.

Tom didn't get back to the precinct until nearly four o'clock and had to take care of some paperwork before he could see her. Rick arrived at the precinct a few minutes before five and stopped by Beckett's desk where she sat nervously awaiting Tom's arrival. Castle greeted her as if everything was normal and started to sit down in what he used to consider was 'his' chair beside her desk. Before he could speak, Rick was quickly whisked away to the break room by Ryan where the others were awaiting his arrival. The two stopped just outside the doorway and Kevin turned back to Kate asking if she was going to join in the celebration. She told the detective that she had something to take care of first, but that she wouldn't miss it. Castle simply shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal as he turned and walked to the room joking with Ryan.

Another ten minutes elapsed before Tom appears, his overnight bag in hand. One look at Beckett tells him that something is amiss and he approaches her warily. "So are you ready to go?" He asks with more confidence than he actually felt at the moment.

Kate knew that this was the moment of truth and starts to speak as soon as Tom asks the question. "Yeah, about that... You know that I really like you Tom... And we've had a lot of fun, but I don't think that I'm ready for any type of relationship right now..."

"What are you saying Kate?" Tom inquires, already knowing the answer.

"I can't go with you for the weekend. There's someplace else that I need to be..." Just as she speaks, a roar of laughter can be heard from the break room, drawing both pair of eyes.

Deming gestures towards the break room, the hurt evident on his face. "It's because of him, isn't it?"

"No Tom, it's because of me. I need to sort some things out in my life... You're a great guy Tom..."

"Are you sure Kate?" He inquires as Beckett can only nod her head in response.

"You know he's gonna break your heart." Deming comments as he looks towards the break room as another roar of laughter erupts.

"I'm sorry Tom." Kate replies, knowing that there was every chance that his warning was true.

Knowing that this conversation was over, Deming rises to his feet as Kate follows. They exchange a hug and a brief kiss before Tom quickly walks away. Kate sat on the edge of her desk for a minute or so, wondering if she had done the right thing. Gathering up what little courage she had left, she strode confidently to the break room where Rick was in the middle of an embarrassing story about his efforts raising a child on his own. Everyone laughs as Castle has no qualms about making fun of himself.

Rick spots Kate standing near the doorway and calls out. "Detective Beckett so glad you could join us, or are simply here to say goodbye?" There was no malice in his question and everyone laughs as Espo begins a story about one of Castle's misadventures with the boys during his first year there. Everyone seemed to be having a good time as Kate watches to see just how much a part of everyone's life Castle had become during his time there. Kate grabbed a beer and tried to feign interest in the conversation, laughing at the appropriate times.

To be honest, Rick was surprised that Kate appeared at all. He assumed that she was simply waiting at her desk for Tom to take her away for their getaway. He could see by her body language that she was extremely uncomfortable being there and he wondered how long she would stay before begging off to leave. He feigns interest in the story Espo was telling as he watches she and Lanie exchange glances in unspoken communication with each other.

There was break in the revelry when Montgomery decides to speak. "We're going to miss you around here Castle. You've proven yourself to be an asset to all of us." The tenor of his voice carried a finality to it that scared Beckett.

"But you're coming back in the fall, right?" Ryan asks timidly.

All Castle could do was feign a sad smile and reply. "We'll see Kev." Everyone in the room knew the answer was 'no'. He pauses for a few seconds, all eyes on him expecting a response. "I just want to thank all of you for putting up with me as long as you have. I've been reminded on multiple occasions that I wasn't a cop, yet you guys took me in and made me feel like I was one of you. For that I will forever be grateful. I know that some of my theories have been pretty far fetched, but their purpose was to force us to look at things from a different perspective... I'm going to miss you guys..." Castle holds up his bottle of beer in toast. "To my friends..."

The others hold up their drinks in a similar gesture as Espo calls out. "To Castle, cheers." The others in the room join in with 'here, here'.

"I just hope our closure rate doesn't take a hit." Montgomery comments with a chuckle as he looks directly at Beckett.

Kate's nervousness only increases with Montgomery's comment. She knew that their case closure rate since Castle joined the team was the highest in the city. She'd never considered what impact his departure would have on her job. Beckett knew that there were several cases where Rick's 'stupid' theories directly lead to the arrest of a killer.

She had finished her beer and went to grab another, when Castle teasingly calls out. "Looks like Beckett's finally joining the party. What's that, your second beer?"

"Don't get her started Writer-boy, she'll drink you under the table." Lanie teases as the others laugh.

"Oh, I don't need to drink to take him down." Kate replies, earning surprised looks and catcalls from the others in the room. Castle arches his eyebrows in mild surprise at her comment, but quickly changes the subject with another story. Kate waits anxiously for the story to end as she moves closer to where he was sitting. She closes the last few feet separating them and leans over to speak to him.

"Can we talk somewhere in private?" She asks timidly, surprising herself and earning a few hoots and hollers from the others in earshot.

Rick simply smiles and replies. "Sure thing Beckett." He looks at the others who are now watching the two of them intently and requests. "Will you excuse me?" The others, especially Kevin, Javi and Lanie all nod their heads with huge smiles on their faces as Rick rises up from his seat and follows Kate out of the break room.

Castle is a few feet outside of the break room when he stops and inquires. "So what did you want to say Beckett?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Three:**_

Kate sensed that their was something amiss by the tone of his voice and her nervousness grew exponentially as she could see the others inside all looking out the windows at the two of them. "Can we go someplace there aren't so many prying eyes looking at us?"

"Sure thing Beckett. Lead on." Castle replies as she starts walking towards one of the interrogation rooms. He follows behind her and closes the door as they take a seat facing each other. Castle decides to break the uncomfortable silence first. "Remember the first time you brought me into this room?"

There was something about the way he made the comment, as if it was a sad memory from his past that worried her. As if the memory was about to be put away forever after one last visit. "How could I ever forget..." She comments in a similar manner.

Castle can sense that whatever she's about to tell him was hard for her to say and staying here was becoming harder by the minute. "So, I figured that you and Tom would be on your way to your weekend getaway... You didn't have to hang around for my sake. I understand..."

"No! That's not why I brought you in here to talk." Kate quickly replies as she can see that Castle was preparing a hasty retreat. "It's about your offer to stay with you this weekend..."

Puzzled by her statement, he inquires. "What about it? You already lied to me once. You didn't have to. I would have understood... But you were right about one thing... Things have become awkward between us..."

She could tell by the look of resignation on his face and the tone of his voice, that he had decided to bow out as gracefully as he could. Knowing she better say something to grab his attention and quickly, she blurts out. "Tom and I broke up..."

Stunned by her comment, at first all he wants to do is break out into a smug 'I told you so' grin, but quickly returns to his poker face, intrigued by what brought about this change in such a short period of time. When he left yesterday she and Tom seemed to be perfectly happy together and he could only guess that someone must have said something to her. "So what changed? Yesterday you seemed to be perfectly content with Deming... and my departure..."

Deciding to lay her cards on the table, she inquires. "Do you want the truth?"

"That would be a nice change."

Stung by his retort, she regains her composure and continues. "I honestly took you at your word that you'd be back by the fall. I thought that a summer apart would be good for both of us... But a few people warned me that you never promised that you'd return and that you'd already done enough research to write fifty novels... I remembered what you told me about Kyra... How she left you for the summer... How you promised to meet in the fall..."

Rick remembers telling Kate about his failed relationship with Kyra after her comment about her seeming to be 'real' when compared to the women that he had dated, or married. He knew that letting her go was one of the hardest things that he had ever done, but for the right reason. Much like the mess he was in at the moment. Not knowing how to respond to her confession, he asks the obvious question. "So why did you have to break up with Deming?"

"Because he wasn't the right guy for me. I liked Tom a lot, but I knew that we would never be anything more than what we were right now..." Kate responds, frustrated that Castle is working her like a perp in the box for a confession.

"Look Beckett, I'm sorry that Deming wasn't the right guy, but I still don't see where I fit in all of this. I mean you already said that you were looking forward to a summer without me being underfoot. Three months ago I planned to leave and you asked me to stay, telling me that you liked having me around 'pulling your pigtails'..." Rick sighs in resignation and rakes his fingers through his hair. " Who knows, maybe I will come back in the fall?"

"But you're not planning to?" Kate inquires, already suspecting the answer.

"I thought that you'd be thrilled. I mean it was made abundantly clear that my theories were asinine and that I wasn't a cop."

"I never said that to you." Kate quickly replies in defense.

"No, but your boyfriend did and you never once said a thing to him about it, so I assumed you agreed."

Kate growls in frustration, wiping her sweaty palms on the thighs of her jeans. _Damn him, he was going to make me say everything,_ she thought to herself. "To be honest Castle, I figured you didn't need me to protect you from Tom. Was I wrong?" Beckett responds with more of a sarcastic edge than she intended.

"Forget I said anything Beckett. I best be going." Rick quickly replies as he pushes his chair away from the table. "Oh, as I was reminded, I was just a guest here. This is your home, your place of employment. It wasn't my place to say anything as a guest, whether welcome or not." Rick continues to push his chair back and is about to rise to his feet.

Beckett fights the feeling of panic seeing Castle giving up and wonders what she could say that would get him to sit back down and listen. "I was mad at you..."

Castle stops his retreat, and stands by the table waiting for Beckett to elaborate.

"I was jealous of you and that skank Ellie Monroe. I thought that things were going well between us and then you show up at the precinct with that I just got laid look..." Castle starts to say something in his defense, but Beckett gives him an eye roll and he stops. "I know that I had no right to be jealous of her, but I thought that maybe there was a chance for us... Even when I found out that she was using you to get a part in the Nikki Heat movie, I still envied her."

Kate could see Castle start to tense a little as he looks at the chair, considering a return to his seat to hear her out. "Your apparent indifference about the whole thing made me wonder if you were more like your Page 6 persona than what I thought I'd seen during the last two years. I was hurt and confused and then Tom comes along. I thought that maybe you'd be as jealous of him as I was of Ellie... At first it was nothing more than some harmless flirting. I have to admit that it was nice to be pursued by someone..."

Castle's jaw clenches and he starts to move back towards the door.

Kate realizes just how stupid her last statement was as soon as she said it. She knew that Rick had been pursuing her for nearly two years, but she had ignored the signs. "Castle wait! Will you let me finish? Please?"

Once again he stops, his hand still clutching the door knob. "Finish what you have to say Beckett." He replies with a look of resignation.

"When Tom asked me out on a date the first time, I told him that I didn't know. Then he told me that he had spoken to you and you said that you had no interest in me other than a work partner..." Once again Rick starts to say something in his defense and once again she gives him a look to let her continue. "I couldn't believe that you'd say something like that, but considering your actions with Ellie, I didn't know what to think. So Tom and I started seeing each other and you seemed to not care... Tom started spending more time with me and your indifference hurt more than it should."

"Tom was jealous of you. How you got to be with me every day working cases. That was why he made fun of your theories and reminded you that you weren't a cop. I should have said something in your defense, but I was still mad at you for giving Tom the go ahead to pursue me as if I was one of your bimbos..." She pauses to see the angry look on Rick's face turn to one of guilt, but then immediately back to anger. Deciding that she needed to get through this, Kate continues. "I thought that you didn't care about me beyond our working relationship, so when Tom asked me to go away with him for the weekend, I said yes. I was stunned when you asked me to go away with you to the Hamptons. I don't know why, but I couldn't tell you that Tom and I had already made plans."

"So you lied to me." Castle replies emotionlessly.

"Yes, and I'm so sorry for that." She can see by his expression and body language that he doesn't believe her. "I know that you don't believe me and I can't blame you."

"You don't owe me anything Beckett."

"But I do. You're my partner and you don't lie to your partner." She hoped her use of the present tense would convince Castle that she still wanted him around. "When you caught me in my lie I was so ashamed, that I told another lie to cover myself. But then you told me that you were leaving for the summer... I didn't know what to say. All I could do was ask when you would return. When you said that you'd return in the fall, I thought that maybe it was a good thing. Maybe the time apart would help me to figure out what I really wanted."

"Well you still have the summer to do that. I've decided that I've already invested two years of my life in something that has no future. I'm just in the way here and it's time for me to let you get on with your life..." Castle comments flatly, his hand still clutching the door knob.

' _He's really going to make me say it_.' Beckett thinks as she can see Castle already preparing a hasty exit. "Don't go. I don't need the summer to figure out what I want." Her voice is barely above a whisper as she speaks.

"What do you want Beckett?" He inquires, not sure why she wants him to stay as things have forever changed between them.

"You. I just want you." Kate replies while looking directly into his eyes. "We've both made mistakes, but you've become such a part of my life that I can't imagine you not being here with me." She can see that whatever anger he was holding was starting to wain. She had put her cards on the table and now it was up to Castle.

Rick stands there stock still, gob smacked by her confession. He considered her words, weighing each one in his mind. Up until a few days ago, this was his dream to hear her confess that she wanted him. But now he wasn't sure what her motivation was. He knew that he couldn't continue with the way things were between them now. She was right about one thing, they had both made mistakes. His dalliance with Ellie Monroe had caused Beckett to question everything about him and he understood far better than than she just how stupid his actions were.

That didn't excuse Beckett's actions as 'two wrongs don't make a right'. He never lied to her about his actions with the starlet and regardless of how he felt about her, assumed that Kate had no interest in him other than a work partner. He didn't flaunt his actions with the starlet before her as she did to him with Deming. It was time to go all in as he had nothing to lose.

"I'm sorry Beckett, but I can't go back to the way things were. For two years I've been right here waiting for you to see just how extraordinary you and I could be together... But you never did. You say that you're afraid of me. That I have somehow tried to hide the fact that I'm really nothing more than the man portrayed on Page 6. If you honestly believe that after being with me for nearly two years, then this is hopeless and the best thing that I can do for both of us is to leave..."

Castle pauses for a moment, trying to gauge her reaction to what he is trying to tell her. "When we first met, I admit that I acted like a jerk, but that is what everyone expects. They expect to see Page 6 Richard Castle, so that's what I give them. But you were different, or at least I thought so. You challenged me. Made me want to prove to you that I was more than what was written on the back of a book jacket or scandal rag. I let you into my home, my family, my heart. I let you see who I really was, but I guess that wasn't enough..."

Kate's emotions ran the gamut surprise, to anger, guilt, and finally sadness, afraid that this was the end between them. That she had pushed him away one time too many because of her own trust issues. She waited for the inevitable goodbye.

Rick stood there, hand still clutching the knob, waiting for some sort of response from Kate. Each passing second felt like an eternity as he watched her standing before him in silence. "The sad thing is, somehow I managed to fall in love with you... I don't know when, I don't know why. I've gotten used to unrequited love... I never wanted to tell you like this, but I owed you the truth. Goodbye Beckett." Castle twists the door knob and pulls it open in a single fluid move.

He was out the door before Kate had closed the distance between them, tears streaming down her cheeks, yet a look of fury in her eyes. She jabs him in the chest with her finger as hard as she could to get his attention. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare drop a bomb like that and think you can just walk away from me! Damn you!" Castle does the only thing that he can think of at moment, taking her into his arms and holding her tightly to him. His body sways from left to right rhythmically as if moving to music that only he could hear. Kate begins to relax in his arms as he continues to move to and fro, his arms still clutching her tightly to his chest.

Beckett finally lifts her head that had been nestled into Castle's neck since he pulled her into his arms. Looking at her red, puffy eyes and tear streaked cheeks, Rick was sure she'd never looked more beautiful to him than what she did at that moment. He gently tilted her chin upwards as he lowered his face to hers, placing a tender kiss on her lips. "I love you." He whispers as his lips move to her neck, gently grazing it.

Kate frees her arms that had been pressed against their chests and pulls Rick's face down until his lips met hers. She returns her own kiss, trying to convey her feelings for him in a single act. They break from the kiss, both are smiling. "Damn you Rick! You drive me crazy. You challenge me. Make me want to be the type of woman that could love you the way you deserve..."

"What are you trying to say Kate?" Castle asks, hoping he knows the answer.

Beckett gives him one of her famous eye rolls as if he was the most clueless man on the planet and sighs in resignation. "What I'm saying is that I love you too. I think that I've known for some time, but there was always something that stopped me..."

"Like me and Ellie." Castle responds with remorse and Beckett simply nods. "I'm so sorry Kate. I thought that my feelings for you were one sided. That I was fooling myself into believing that there was a chance for us to be something more than work partners. I thought that it was nothing more than my writer's imagination running wild."

"Castle, would you shut up and kiss me." Kate spoke in such a manner that it was not a request. The expression on his face was one of a small child that had gotten the Christmas present that they had only dreamed of. A goofy and wondrous look that causes her to smile herself as he lifts her off of the floor just enough that they are at eye level. He holds her tightly against himself and gives her a kiss filled with all of the love that he felt for her at that moment.

Not to be outdone, she returns the kiss with equal fervor. So caught up in the moment, they barely notice the cheering and whistles from the party goers that had witnessed everything since they had exited the interrogation room. The cheers soon turned to applause as the two realized that they had an audience. Beckett's face flushed a brilliant shade of crimson as she tries to push herself away from Castle. Rick gently lowers her feet back to the floor, but is reluctant to release her from his embrace, afraid that she'll run away.

Finally releasing her, she remains by his side and tries to quickly regain her composure. She looks at the smiles on the faces of Javi, Kevin and Lanie and can see that they were genuinely happy for her. The M E closes the distance between the two women wrapping her in her arms giving her a hug of her own. "Oh sweetie, I'm so happy for you..." She then turns to Castle, giving him a mock glare. "And you, you big idiot, what took you so long? Anyone with eyes could see that you've been in love with our girl here for quite a while." All Castle could do in response was to shrug his shoulders as give her an apologetic look. "I had you two for March in the pool?"

"Pool? What pool?" Beckett inquires, clearly puzzled by Lanie's comment.

"The pool that we've had going for when you two would take you heads out of your respective asses and realize just how much you cared for each other." Montgomery replies with a chuckle. "By the way, who had May?"

"That would be me Captain." Espo replies while grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Beckett gives Javi her own version of the Lanie Parish angry glare. "So all of the things that you told me were just so you could win the pool?"

"Ever since Writer-boy here, became your 'partner', you've changed. You smile more, are easier to work with and you seem genuinely happy. Everyone here knew that he was in love with you and we were just waiting for you to catch up... But then Tom came along and everything started to change. You started to change and I knew if Castle left for good, you'd go back to your old ways..."

Stung by Esposito's comment, she inquires. "Was I really that bad?"

Kevin decides to answer for his partner. "No Beckett, you were great, but you weren't happy. All you had was the job, an occasional date that lead to nothing and a girls night with Lanie every so often. We care about you and want to see you happy."

Beckett had to admit that she was touched by the sincerity in Ryan's voice as he spoke. She knew that both he and Javi cared for her like brothers and she felt the same way about them. She smiled at her two 'sibling'. "Thank you."

"So, are you still leaving us for the summer Rick? Or did I waste a good twenty dollars on this lavish send off for nothing?" Montgomery laughs as he speaks.

There was an extended pause as everyone was waiting to hear his response, no one more than Kate. "Yeah, about that... I really am behind on my book and my publisher is on my back to get it done, but I should be able to get it done in just a few days, if I have the proper inspiration..." He smiles and looks directly at Kate, which causes her to blush, a 'you go girl' from Lanie and knowing grins from the others.

"So are you saying that you're coming back sooner than the end of summer?" Kate asks nervously.

"Only if you want me to... And, if you go away with me for the weekend." Rick replies, earning another round of hoots and hollers from the others.

"So I'll finally get to see your home in the Hamptons?" Beckett inquires with a flirty smile.

"What about Paris? It's beautiful in the spring... Or Venice, or Bali?" Castle inquires, hoping that he hasn't overstepped.

At first, Kate couldn't shake the feeling that this all was some weird type of dream and that she would wake up any second. Twenty four hours ago, she was going away for a weekend with a man she liked, while the man she loved was leaving her, probably forever. Hell, that was true two hours ago. Now she's standing beside the man she loves, that has told her that he loves her too and wants her to fly away with him to Paris for a romantic getaway. Beckett turns to face him, rising up on the toes of her four inch heels and places a soft kiss on his lips. "Paris sounds wonderful Rick." She replies as the onlookers cheer again.


	4. Chapter 4: Epilogue

_**Epilogue - Seven Years Later:**_

 _The first streaks of sunlight forced their way through the drawn drapes and directly into the eyes of Richard Castle. He brought his arm up to cover his eyes from the offending intruder that was interrupting his sleep as he heard a small groan coming from his still sleeping companion. "Too early. Sleep..." She mumbles into his chest where her head was resting, a small pool of drool just by her lips." Rick tilted his head down to see her chestnut hair fanned out on his bare chest and smiles, knowing that he was the luckiest man in the world._

 _He was lying there with the love of his life, his soulmate, the mother of his children, the truly extraordinary Kate Beckett. He thinks about how this weekend is their real anniversary and shudders at the thought of just how empty his life would be if she hadn't summoned the courage to tell him her true feelings for him. Falling in love with her was easy. She challenged him, made him aspire to be something more than what he was. Getting her to realize that she loved him too was the challenge._

 _With the arm that he had wrapped around her, he gave her a gentle squeeze and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "You get some sleep. I know I kept you up late..." They had made love last night and both decided several encores were in order that kept them both awake later than normal. Their hectic lifestyle made opportunities like last night a rare occurrence. Between the kids, her job as a state senator and his writing, most nights were spent in a deep sleep, too exhausted to consider fooling around. That's why the long holiday weekends like this one were so important, as it gave them a chance to focus on what was really important - their family._

Kate let out a small groan as Rick gently lifted her off of him did a sort of slide/crawl out of bed. He slipped on one of his ratty superhero tee shirts that he loved and staggers into the bathroom to take care of natures call. Minutes later, he's standing before his espresso machine, ready to make a cup of coffee for he and his wife.

'Wife'. He loved the word and what it meant to him. The partner in life that he had tried, and failed, twice before to find. His better half. Rick quickly finished his brew and started the process of making hers. He carefully makes the heart with an arrow running through it into the foam of her drink. His drinkable 'I love you' that he's given her for nearly nine years.

Just as he finishes, Castle feels her arms snake around him from behind as she rests her chin on his shoulder. "Morning babe. Sleep well?" She inquires, with her sly smile that they both knew meant something else.

Rick tilted his head and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Wonderful. And you?" He turns to face her, pulling her tight to his chest. He can feel her relax in his arms as he places another kiss on the top of her head, enjoying this perfect moment.

She gave him one of her teasing looks that he loved so much and comments. "Three times? I didn't think that you had it in you... You know you're not as young as you used to be. I'm impressed..." The smile on her face let him know that she still enjoyed their verbal sparring as much today as ever.

Rick can only feign indignation and replies. "I'll have you know miss, my wife had been gone an entire week and I missed her very much." He tilted her chin up as he tilts his down and places a soft kiss on her lips. Returning the kiss, Kate puts her hand behind his neck holding him in place. They continue their mini make out session with the kisses becoming more passionate, until they hear their six year old daughter voicing her disapproval. This causes the two of them to separate and start to laugh at the sound of utter disgust their daughter emitted, seeing her parents locked in a passionate kiss.

"Good morning sweetheart. How did you sleep?" Kate asks her daughter.

"Fine, mommy. Do you want me to wake up the J's?"

The J's was how Lillie referred to her twin brothers, Jackson and James, named after their grandfathers. The twins would be celebrating their third birthday in a week and Lillie relished her role as the big sister, lording over the two. Lillie was mini Kate with her beauty and demeanor. She had even perfected her mother's eye roll already. With the exception of her beautiful blue eyes, she looked exactly like Kate at the same age.

The twins seemed to be a perfect blend of the two parents in both appearance and personality. Like their sister, they also had his blue eyes and mischievous smile.

Kate was terrified when she first learned of her pregnancy with Lillie. Not about having Richard Castle's child, but afraid that she wouldn't be the type of mother her child deserved. She had witnesses first hand just how wonderful Rick was as a father and feared that she wasn't up to the task. Thankfully, she was wrong. Rick had assured her that the first time she held her child in her arms that everything would change and he was correct. Holding Lillie in her arms the first time made her question all of her priorities and convinced her that there was more in life than being a cop.

It wasn't long after the birth of Lillie, that she discovered the tape that would change everything. During her maternity leave, her replacement had commandeered her desk, placing all of her personal items in a box in the storage closet. Somehow the box had been crushed while she was gone and upon her return, she discovers the micro cassette tape hidden inside of her mother's broken elephant family statue. Playing the tape revealed that not only had William Bracken ordered her mother's murder, but that her mentor, Roy Montgomery knew about it all along. Confronting her boss with the evidence, he confessed everything that he knew and warned her that Bracken had spies everywhere.

Bracken may have had his connections, but Richard Castle had friends everywhere including both foreign and domestic intelligence agencies thanks to his Derrick Storm novels. He also had strong ties with some of the top level mobsters in the city that liked him. Within days they discovered that Bracken had been receiving a cut from the drug business of Vulcan Simmons in exchange for the NYPD looking the other way. It didn't take long before Finn Rourke was appraised of who was supporting the man that was trying to infiltrate the Westies' territory. The NYPD may have protected Simmons from the law, but they couldn't stop Rourke's people.

After a few calls to his CIA and NSA contacts that he could trust, Jordan Shaw was also recruited. Montgomery's wife and children were quietly moved to an undisclosed location in exchange for all of the evidence that the captain had on Bracken. Roy was assured that he and his family would be placed in Witness Protection in exchange for his testimony against the senator.

Kate and Jordan were together when they arrested the Senator during a session of Congress. The irony was Bracken was sponsoring a bill calling for tougher penalties for drug related convictions. The world watched as the two women perp walked the disgraced senator out of the Capitol building and into an waiting FBI vehicle. Rick, holding Lille in his arms watched from a safe distance away, beaming with pride. As soon as the vehicle carrying Bracken drove away, Kate nearly sprinted to where Rick and her daughter were standing. The picture of the three of them together went viral and Kate became an unwilling celebrity.

The senior state senator from their district was named by the governor to take the place of Bracken, who had resigned from office soon after his arrest. The local political party, seeing an opportunity to cash in on Kate's status as someone newsworthy, approached her about running for the vacant seat in the special runoff election. Kate was unsure if a career in politics was what she wanted, but between Rick and her dad convincing her she would be great, she accepted the challenge. Three months later, Katherine Beckett-Castle became the newest state senator in New York.

They purchased a modest home in Albany and spent most of their time there. Rick continued to write, finishing his Nikki Heat contract obligations with Black Pawn and took care of Lillie. Alexis transferred to a private school in Albany and they lived together as a normal family. Upon graduation, she enrolled at Stanford, her goal to become a lawyer just as her new mother had aspired to be at the same age.

The twins were a surprise, not the pregnancy itself, but the quantity. They decided to expand their family not long after Alexis left for Stanford. Both Rick and Kate had grown up alone and wanted their children to have siblings. Castle had always felt bad for Alexis not having a brother or sister. Kate actually looked forward to her second pregnancy as she knew what to expect this go round.

Kate excelled as a state senator which was no surprise to anyone who knew her. There was even talk about her being groomed for the US Senate seat in the next election. Rick assured her that he would support her decision and she was seriously considering the challenge. Castle had started writing non fiction and his first book was a detailed account of the murder of Johanna Beckett and the tireless effort of his now wife, to find her mother's killer. It was an international best seller and Rick won his first Pulitzer.

The family sat together at the dining room table enjoying their meal, together. Kate reaches across the table and takes Rick's hand in hers. He looks at her and gives her hand a gentle squeeze. They share an unspoken 'I love you' with their eyes as they both realize that it was moments like these that were what life was all about. That this was perfection.


End file.
